TED Talk: The Black Death

In a TED Talk video, Sharon N. DeWitte looks at the bubonic plague, which devastated Europe in the 14th century.

From the website:

The bubonic plague, which killed around 1/5 of the world’s population in the 14th century, is still around today -- but it now claims only a few thousand lives each year. How did that number shrink so drastically? Sharon N. DeWitte investigates the causes and effects of the black death and explains how knowing this information can help us prepare for any future outbreaks of the disease.

TED is a nonprofit organization (the acronym is Technology, Education, and Design) whose mission is to "spread powerful ideas" through short lectures by visionaries and thought leaders.